Former NFLer Faces More Sexual-Assault Claims

LOS ANGELES (CN) – Former NFL safety Darren Sharper, awaiting sentencing for serial rape, was sued by three women Thursday, who claim he drugged and sexually assaulted them. Sharper is awaiting sentencing in a four-state deal involving sexual assault charges in Louisiana, California, Arizona and Nevada. He is in jail in New Orleans, after pleading guilty in June to three rape charges in Louisiana. He has pleaded guilty to criminal charges involving nine women. On Thursday in Las Vegas, a state judge postponed his sentencing there until March 17, 2016. Sharper pleaded guilty in Clark County Court (Las Vegas) in March to attempted sexual assault. California and Arizona also are involved in the plea deal, due to his pleas there. His plea deal in Nevada calls for him to serve 38 months to 8 years, concurrently with his time from charges in other states. His final sentence is expected to be around 9 years. On Thursday, three women sued him in Los Angeles Superior Court. Apparently, they claim to be additional victims, as the civil complaint accuses him of drugging and assaulting them, “as well as the sexual assaults of multiple other women.” They claim that Sharper “administrated controlled substances” to them in January 2014 and had sex with them without their consent. Two of them, both residents of Hawaii, say he sexually assaulted them on the night of Jan. 14 or early morning of Jan. 15, 2014 in Los Angeles. The third accuser, a Massachusetts woman, claims Sharper drugged and assaulted her the next night in Las Vegas. They seek punitive damages for assault and battery, emotional distress, conspiracy and violations of the Ralph Act and the Drug Dealer Liability Act. They are represented by Gloria Allred in Los Angeles, whose office was not open this morning as this story was published. Sharper, 40, played from 1997 to 2010, for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. He won a Super Bowl with the Saints in 2010, and the NFL elected him to its All-Decade Team in 2010. His 63 interceptions were sixth on the NFL’s all-time list when he retired. His criminal problems began in 2014.